Question

Explain how monomers and polymers are related.

Answer 1

Hint: Monomers are the small molecules with a low molecular weight that are covalently bound to each other to form- polymers. Polymers are macroscopic molecules with high molecular weight.

Complete answer:
Monomers are the low molecular weight, single-molecule that have a low boiling point and lesser mechanical strength. They are the basic unit of polymers that can have different combination units. They are of four main types- amino acids, fatty acids, sugar molecules, and nucleotides. Based on their origin, monomers can be classified as Natural monomers (obtained from natural sources) and Synthetic monomers (prepared in an artificial medium). Based on their polarity, they can be classified as as- Polar and Non-polar monomers.
Monomers have high chemical reactivity, and they react with the same or different monomer molecules to form a large structure called a polymer.

Polymers are the macromolecules formed by the repeating units of monomers. They have high molecular weight, high boiling point, higher mechanical strength, higher complexity, and lesser chemical reactivity. They always have a single repeating unit. The most common types of polymers are- Proteins (a polymer of amino acids), Polysaccharides (a polymer of sugar or monosaccharides), Nucleic acids (a polymer of nucleotides), and triglycerides (a polymer of fatty acids and glycerol). Based on their origin, polymers can be classified as Natural polymers and Synthetic polymers. Based on their chain structure, polymers can be classified as Linear polymers, Branched polymers, and Cross-linked polymers. Based on the monomeric unit, they can be classified as- Homopolymers and Heteropolymers. Based on the type of reaction they undergo, polymerization can be classified as Condensation polymerization and

Addition polymerization. Based on the molecular forces in between, they can be classified as- fibers, elastomers, thermosets, and thermoplastics. The polymers produced by living organisms are called Biopolymers.
The relation between monomers and polymers can be explained as - monomers are the repeating units or building blocks of polymers that react with similar monomers or different monomers to form a long chain or three-dimensional network of polymer molecules through the process of a chemical reaction called polymerization.

Note: Oligomers are an intermediate of monomers and polymers. They are low molecular weight polymers consisting of small chains and few monomer units. They can be classified into various types, like- homo- oligomer (collagen) and hetero oligomer. Oligosaccharides and oligonucleotides play an important role in the biochemistry and our body.